FAQ

About Us

Celebrated annually on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, #iGiveCatholic is an online giving day that kicks off the charitable season and brings the Catholic community together to give thanks and give back. As the first-ever online giving day created to celebrate our unique Catholic heritage, #iGiveCatholic inspires faithful stewards to "Give Catholic" on #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving.

Declared “the most successful Catholic crowdfunding event to date” by the National Catholic Register, the goal of the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day is to rally our Catholic community in support of the organizations that shape our souls: Our parishes, schools, ministries, and not-for-profit organizations. Secure, tax-deductible donations to eligible Catholic organizations located in participating arch/dioceses will be accepted at iGiveCatholic.org during a 24-hour period on #GivingTuesday, November 27.

In 2017, the third year of the campaign raised more than $3.6 million for 600+ participating parishes, schools, and nonprofits representing 17 arch/dioceses across the country. At the close of the 24-hour giving period, the number of online contributions totaled more than 13,000 gifts from 29 states and 6 countries, including Afghanistan, Great Britain, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Canada.

#iGiveCatholic is a bishop-led initiative in partnership with lay leaders in Catholic philanthropy.

General Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is #iGiveCatholic?

#iGiveCatholic is an online giving event that provides our Catholic parishes, schools, ministries, and not-for-profits the opportunity to connect with their current donors and establish relationships with new donors.

It is also an opportunity for Catholics to affirm our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ by sharing our gifts out of love for God and one another. The goal of #iGiveCatholic is to inspire the Catholic community to come together as faithful stewards and to "Give Catholic" on #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.

Q. Who can participate in the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day?

Parishes, schools, ministries, and not-for-profit organizations affiliated with a participating arch/diocese are eligible to participate in the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day. Please consult your arch/dioceses’ point person for more information.

When is #iGiveCatholic?

This year,#iGiveCatholic takes place on Tuesday, November 27, from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM CST.

Q. How does it work?

#iGiveCatholic is an online platform with searchable profiles of participating parishes, schools, ministries, and not-for-profit organizations affiliated with participating arch/dioceses. All donations will be processed through iGiveCatholic.org. Anyone can donate to his or her favorite ministry on Tuesday, November 27, from midnight until 11:59 PM CST. Participating organizations and donors can track event progress via leaderboards.

Q. Why host a day of Catholic giving on #GivingTuesday?

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for purchasing gifts for loved ones – Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And now we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.

On Tuesday, November 27, 2018, individuals and organizations around the world will come together for one common purpose: To celebrate generosity and to give.

We know that, for Catholics, generosity and giving have a profound meaning. As children of God, giving is the ultimate expression of mercy as we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, and preserve our Catholic heritage for future generations. Compelled to action by our shared faith, Catholics are energized to give back knowing that little is much when God is in it.

Q. How can I stay up to date on what's happening?

News and updates will be posted regularly to #iGiveCatholic’s social media sites:

Q. Are there sponsorship and funding opportunities?

Join us as an #iGiveCatholic Giving Day sponsor or funder. We have great opportunities for you to get involved! Email info@igivecatholic.org to learn more.

Parish, School, Ministry, Not-for-Profit FAQs

Q. What organizations are eligible for #iGiveCatholic?

All 501(c)3 parishes, schools, ministries, and not-for-profit organizations affiliated with a participating arch/diocese are eligible to participate in the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day. Please consult your arch/dioceses’ point person for more information.

Q. What does it cost a parish/school/ministry/not-for-profit to participate in #iGiveCatholic?

It costs nothing.

Q. How do I register my organization to participate?

Eligible organizations in participating arch/dioceses must activate their account online by logging onto iGiveCatholic.org via the email confirmation sent from GiveGab on August 16.

In this email, you will find a prompt that will allow you to access your #iGiveCatholic “Admin Dashboard” on GiveGab to begin customizing your #iGiveCatholic profile. Be sure to select the prompt in your email to properly activate your account!

Online registration will close October 31. #iGiveCatholic utilizes an “opt-out” format. If an organization does not wish to participate in the giving day, please let your arch/diocese’s point person know ASAP or by that date.

Questions? How-to articles on registering and completing your profile are located on the Resources page and throughout GiveGab's support center. We also recommend utilizing the chat bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

Q. How will organizations train?

Two live training webinars will be offered in the fall. Additionally, a series of recorded training webinars will be maintained on the iGiveCatholic.org website. We strongly advise that you participate in or view these webinars as they will help guide you in a successful giving day. Additional training might be offered by participating arch/dioceses. Please consult your arch/dioceses’ point person for more information.

Q. When will my organization receive its donations?

If you indicate a bank account number in your online registration profile, your organization will receive all donations via ACH distribution within 2-3 business days of the giving day. If your organization is being sponsored by your arch/diocese, meaning you do not have a viable bank account with which to receive funds via ACH or your arch/diocese has indicated that it will accept donations for disbursement to its participating organizations, you will be sent your donations via check within 60 days of the giving day.

Q. Does my organization need to send letters to donors for their tax deduction?

No. Donors immediately receive an email from #iGiveCatholic confirming their gift. Note that all donations must be 100% tax deductible (no additional benefits.) However, this tax deduction form is not a "thank you." By registering to participate in #iGiveCatholic, organizations agree to acknowledge donations within seven working days. Participants may contact donors through any medium they like, including thank you letters, phone calls, or social media “shout outs.”

Yes. You will have access to donor information during the giving day via a donations table that can be accessed in your “Admin Dashboard” and downloaded to a .CSV. To log in to your Admin Dashboard, go to iGiveCatholic.org and click “Menu” in the top right hand corner of the page. A drop down will appear–click “Log In” to enter your email and password. For more detailed step-by-step directions, click to read the support article here.

Participants should acknowledge donations by following up with donors within seven working days of the giving day.

Q. How can I stay up to date on what's happening?

News and updates will be posted regularly to #iGiveCatholic’s social media sites:

Q. I have questions - who can answer them?

#iGiveCatholic has partnered with the giving day platform processor, GiveGab. On the iGiveCatholic.org website, use the blue chat bubble on the bottom right hand corner of any page to ask questions. You can also email questions@igivecatholic.org.

Giving/Donor FAQs

Q. Who can donate?

Anyone can donate! Because this takes place 100% online, donors will need a credit card and access to the internet.

Q. What forms of donations are accepted?

MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express donations will be accepted through the #iGiveCatholic website on #GivingTuesday, November 27. Donations via check or cash can be manually inputted by organizations in their Admin Dashboard either as an offline gift or as a matching fund. Donor-Advised Fund holders at participating arch/diocese foundations may recommend grants from their funds.

Q. I will not have access to the internet on #iGiveCatholic giving day. Is there another time I can give?

Yes. For the convenience of donors, gifts may be made in advance for #iGiveCatholic. Between November 12 and 26, a donor can go to iGiveCatholic.org to make a gift. Advanced gifts will be charged at the time of donation and credited to the participating organization's leaderboard during the giving day.

Q. Are gifts tax-deductible?

Yes. All donations are tax deductible and irrevocable and will be for the designated use of your chosen charity.

Q. Do donors receive a tax receipt from the school, parish, ministry, or not-for-profit?

Donors will receive an automatic tax receipt for their gift via email from #iGiveCatholic. Donors will also be thanked by the organizations they supported within one week.

Q. Is there a minimum gift?

Yes. The minimum donation is $25.

Q. Is there a maximum gift?

No, there is no maximum donation.

Q. Can a donor give to multiple organizations?

Yes! Donors may use the "multi-give" option located at the #iGiveCatholic home page to streamline the giving process. Donors also have the option of visiting the different organization profile pages of the organizations they wish to donate to and make separate donations.

Q. What if I can't find my favorite nonprofit on the website?

If you can't find them on the iGiveCatholic.org website, they are not participating in #iGiveCatholic this year.

Q. How will the donations be reported on my credit card statement?

Your credit card statement will reflect the organization’s name to which you donated.

Q. May I pay a pledge with my gift?

No, the #iGiveCatholic giving day is designed to generate new support.

Q. May I designate how a school, parish, ministry or not-for-profit uses my gift?

#iGiveCatholic giving day gifts are considered unrestricted gifts to the designated school, parish, ministry, or not-for-profit unless a particular project is designated by the participating organization.

Q. Are there fees associated with donations to #iGiveCatholic?

All donations will be paid to the chosen ministry net of vendor and credit card transaction fees, which total 6.2% plus $0.30. Donors have the option to cover these fees at the time of donation, and they will receive a tax deduction on the full donation amount.

For donors making a gift of $250 or more, the option to pay directly through your bank account will be made available. This means that instead of entering your credit or debit card information, you will be able to log in directly to your bank, view your available funds, and make a direct transfer from your account. Donors who choose this method will see a reduction in processing fees from the original 6.2% + $0.30 to 4% + $0.50.

Q. Can I make my donation using my cell phone?

Yes. You can use a smartphone that allows you to make a credit/debit card purchases. Launch the web browser and visit iGiveCatholic.org to donate from your smartphone.

Q. May I use my #iGiveCatholic giving day donation to buy event tickets, museum memberships or other things that provide me a benefit?

No, donations may not be used to pay for anything that might be perceived as a material benefit to the donor including dinner tickets, membership fees, golf fees, admission tickets, raffle tickets, event sponsorships, or other gifts.

Q. What if I notice a transaction error?

Q. I have questions - who can answer them?

#iGiveCatholic has partnered with the giving day platform processor, GiveGab. On the iGiveCatholic.org website, use the blue chat bubble on the bottom right hand corner of any page to ask questions. You can also email questions@igivecatholic.org.